Henry e



(No Model.)

H. E. HUTGHINSON.

MATCH BOX.

Nq. 278.555. Patented May 29,1883.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

HENRY E. nUToHInsON, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

M ATCH-BOXJ SPECIFICATION forming part. of Izetters Patent No. 278,555, dated May 29, 1883.

Application filed January 8,1883. (No model.)

Teen-whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HENRY E. Hu'ronINsoN, of BrooklymKings county, New York have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Boxes, of which the following visa specification.

My invention applies to stationary matchboxes, such as those which are designed to be hung upon the wall or placed upon the mantel or table; and it relates to that class of boxes which are provided with a secondary receptacle or pocket toreceive the burned stubs of thematches, so as to obviate the necessity of throwing the same upon the floor or other place, where they are likely to cause litter or do damage by accidental fires.

The object of my invention is to provide a box of this kind which shall possess a very simple and inexpensive construction, capable of being sold at a very low price, and at the same time be very certain and efficient in its use and action 5 and to this end my invention consists in several novel details, as hereinafter fully set'forth.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 presents a perspective view of myimproved match-box with the lid raised, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sec: tion thereof.

l I prefer to construct the box of tin plate soldered together at the joints, as indicated in the drawings, but do not limit-myself to this construction.

a a a" a indicate the casing of the box, which is preferably of a rectangular shape. The back wall, a, extends up higher than the rest andis perforated at the top, forming a suspending-ear, from which the box maybe hung upon the wall in the usual manner, as

illustrated. The side walls, a, are formed integral-with the back wall, a, being bent 'at right angles therefrom, and having each, vertical edgeoverturned to receive between them the front wall, a, which is soldered to the said overturned edges, as indicated in Fig. 1, and is corrugated on its front facetoform a scratchin g-surface. The bottom a is a separate sheet,

with itsedges upturned to embrace the lower edges of the other walls to which it is soldered, as? will be understood. The inclosing-walls'of the casing are thus all fixed and rigid, while the top or mouth of the casingis open over its a, and is adapted to cover the entire open top' for month when depressed, as will be understood from the drawings. interior of the box is divided by a partition, 0, preferably of semi-cylindrical form, which extends downinto the box at some distance from the front wall, a, and, curving backwardly, joins the back wall, a, at some distance above the bottom 64', of the box, thus forming a pocketfd, to receive the matches in the top of the box and at the back of the same, with a larger receptacle, 6, below this pocket in the bottom of the box to receive theburned stubs, and with a throat or opening, f, leading to this lower receptacle and rising up in front of the match-pocket at the front edge of the easing, as shown well in Figs. 1 and 2, through which throat the burned stubs can be easily.

dropped into the receptacle below, as will be understood. When the lid bis depressed it Now, the mouth or covers both the match-pocket d and the drop It will be noted that the top of the box isles inclined or beveled, being lowest in front, with the lid hinged at the high end, so that the match-pocket d is brought at a higher level than the throat f. Consequently the burned stubs can be easily dropped into the throat f, when the-lid is slightly raised, withoutany liability of their falling into the pocket d, among the fresh matches, as would be likely to Occur if the top of the box were level.

When all the matches have been used from the pocket at the box can be taken down and upset,so as to dump the burned stubs from the receptacle 6 through the throatf, and the pocket at can be again filled with a fresh charge of matches and thebox again hung'in its place for, further use. It will therefore be seen that this form of match-box is very convenient, cleanly, and safe, and it provides a place in which the burned stubs can be safely held until the box requires to be again filledythns preventing the soil and litter of burned matches about the house, and also materially reducing simple and strong, and cannot be deranged by any ordinary usage, and is such as admits, of

very easy and convenient operation, and may be sold at a very low price, thus combining several practical advantages desirable in a small article of this kind.

I am of course aware that is not new to provide a pocket for the fresh matches and a receptacle for the stubs in the same casing; but it will be found that former boxes of this kind have not the simple and advantageous construction of my invention, for in a former instance the casing has not been provided with fixed walls, but with a sliding front or bottom to the stub-receptacle to admit of removing the stubs, which is a complication which I obviate.

In a match-box of this kind it may be noted that there'never can be a greater number of stubs than the original number of matches, so that the stub-receptacle needs to be emptied only at each time that the matches require to be replenished, and hence it can be readily emptied by upsetting or dumping at that time, as in my case, whereas a removable or sliding wall to the stub-receptacle, as heretofore used,

. is a useless and expensive addition, likely to rner boxes of this class, and is a very desirable detail, conducing to the general simplicity, ease,'and efficiency inthe construction and action of the box, as will be readily appreciated from what has been already pointed out.

Another important advantage of constructing the casing with fixed rigid walls, as in my case, is that by this means the receptacle for the burned stubs is imperforate and air-tight, forming a close dead-air space or chamber, in which the burned stubs may be safely dropped, so that when the lid is closed down the stubs will be completely smothered, and no chance offered foroneincandescentstub toignite the rest, and thus cause a'fire within the box. On the other hand, it will be observed that, where the stub-receptacle has a movable wall or slide, it is necessary to carefully close this slide after removing theaccumulated stubs, else the next stub dropped in might fall out, and, besides this, the crevices of the movable wall would admit an inflow of air to support any fire that might start among the burned stubs, and which would soon ignite the fresh matches and cause a dangerous flash therefrom, but

which cannot occur in my construction.

I am aware, however, that other matchboxes have been made in which the stub-receptacle was a tight chamber below the matchreccptacle; but in one such case the match-receptacle was in the form of a separate open tray or lid which fitted over and upon the stubreceptacle, and in another case the stub receptacle was in the form of a slidingdrawer below the match-receptacle. In both these instances, therefore, the box is composed of several loose parts, which require to be moved or separated to dump or remove the contents of the stub-receptacle, and they have not therefore the simple fixed construction of my box.

What I claim is--.

- 1. A match-box constructed with the fixed tight sides a a a a, forming an air-close case open at the top, with the bent or curved partition 0, arranged as shown, forming'a matchpocket, 0?, in the back and upper corner of the case, and a tight smothering-receptacle, e, or dead-air space for burned stubs below the same, with a throat,f, at the front of the case, leading down thereto, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. A match-box having an iuclosing-casin open at the top, and including a match-pocket at the back portion of said top, infront of the back wall of the case, and a stub receptacle or chamber opening in front of the said pocket, behind the front wall of' the case, with a lid hinged at the back wall of the case, and adapted to com letely cover said open top and close down over both the match-pocket and the stub receptacle, substantially as herein shown and described. I

3. A match-box having an inclosing-casing open at the top and beveled or declining from the back to the front, with a match-pocket at the back of the case, in front of the back wall, and with a stub-receptacle in front of the same, behind the front wall of the case and at the lowereud of the beveled top, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A match-box having a fixed inclosing- I 

